Motorists urged not to speed on open roads after death of cyclist

POLICE have called for drivers to resist speeding on empty roads during lockdown.

It comes a male cyclist died on the Lisburn Road in Moira, Co Down on Thursday evening after hitting a car.

The female driver of the vehicle was not injured and police have appealed for information or dashcam footage.

The PSNI have not suggested the driver was speeding, but warned road users not to relax their standards as less traffic is on the roads.

Further information on the identity of the cyclist had not been released yesterday.

The victim was the 15th person to die on Northern Ireland roads in 2020, the same figure recorded at the same time last year.

A post on the PSNI Castlereagh page said: “In light of recent accidents and collisions within the Lisburn and Castlereagh district, we urge the public to maintain vigilance on the roads at this time.

“Traffic has decreased lately through the area. This has lead to more open roads and less congestion through towns and built up areas.

“With all these factors in place it has allowed for drivers to carry more speed. We ask you all to take care when travelling and pay attention to your surroundings. It only takes a few seconds for road hazards to appear.”

DUP Alderman Allan Ewart, passing on his sympathies to the family of the cyclist, said: “It’s very sad for them and I would urge everyone to be extra careful on the roads.”

UUP councillor John Palmer said: “It’s a 60mph road with a lot of junctions so anything could happen and you have to be very careful. I echo the police warning, that with less vehicles on the road there’s a tendency for vehicles to go faster.”